Lychnis plant named ‘IFLYPH’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lychnis plant named ‘IFLYPH’, characterized by its relatively compact, upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely basal clumping growth habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; and white-colored double-type flowers arranged in dense inflorescences.

Botanical designation: Lychnis flos-cuculi.

Cultivar denomination: ‘IFLYPH’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lychnis plant, botanically known as Lychnis flos-cuculi, typically grown as a container Lychnis plant and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘IFLYPH’.

The new Lychnis plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Lychnis flos-cuculi ‘Lychjenpet’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,495. The new Lychnis plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant from within a population of plants of ‘Lychjenpet’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Sonsbeek, Germany in June, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lychnis plant by in vitro meristem culture since June, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new Lychnis plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘IFLYPH’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘IFLYPH’ as a new and distinct Lychnis plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, upright and uniformly mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Freely basal clumping growth habit.     -   3. Moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. White-colored double-type flowers arranged in dense         inflorescences.

Plants of the new Lychnis differ primarily from plants of the mutation parent, ‘Lychjenpet’, in flower color as plants of ‘Lychjenpet’ have bright pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Lychnis can be compared to plants of unnamed selections of Lychnis flos-cuculi known to the Inventor, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Sonsbeek, Germany, plants of the new Lychnis differ from plants of unnamed selections of Lychnis flos-cuculi known to the Inventor in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lychnis are shorter, more compact and         denser than plants of unnamed selections of Lychnis flos-cuculi.     -   2. Plants of the new Lychnis are more freely flowering than         plants of unnamed selections of Lychnis flos-cuculi.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Lychnis are white in color         whereas flowers ofplants of unnamed selections of Lychnis         flos-cuculi are pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Lychnis plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Lychnis plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of typical plants of ‘IFLYPH’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowering stems of ‘IFLYPH’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical leaves of ‘IFLYPH’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the early summer in 19-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Lychnis production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 15° C. Plants were 15 weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lychnis flos-cuculi ‘IFLYPH’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Lychnis     flos-cuculi ‘Lychjenpet’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,495. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By in vitro meristem culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About ten days             at temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; close to 156D in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; basally             clumping plant habit with leaves developing from the base;             roughly broadly obovate in overall shape; relatively             compact, upright and uniformly mounded plant habit;             moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 51             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 78             cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 75.5 cm. -   Branch description:     -   -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about 15             primary branches per plant each primary branch with about             eight secondary lateral branches.         -   Length.—About 27.3 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 12.9 cm.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong.         -   Aspect.—Upright to about 70° from vertical.         -   Texture and luster.—Sparsely to moderately pubescent;             slightly rough; slightly glossy.         -   Color.—Close to 143C; at the internodes, close to 143A;             color becoming closer to 146D tinged with close to 183D with             development. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in basal clumps; leaves simple,             opposite and sessile.         -   Length.—About 5 cm to 17.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.4 cm to 2.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly oblanceolate to lanceolate; slightly             carinate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Decurrent.         -   Margin.—Entire; slightly and coarsely undulate.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,             glabrous; matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             144B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to between             NN137A and 147A; venation, close to 143C. Fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to             144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Double-type flowers with             reproductive organs transformed into petal-like (hereafter             described as “petaloids”) structures; flowers arranged in             compound dichasial cymes on relatively short flowering             stems; flowering stems arising from basal clumps, flowering             stems mostly erect to somewhat outwardly spreading; flowers             face mostly upright to outwardly; each cyme with about             eleven flowers and about 1,250 flowers developing per plant             over the flowering season; flowers face mostly upright to             slightly outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time of flowering.—In Northern Europe, plants flower             continuously from spring into the autumn; flowering begins             about 15 weeks after planting rooted young plants.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about ten days on             the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 9.3 cm.         -   Inflorescence width.—About 8.9 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.7 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.7 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Elliptic to oblong. Texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous; matte. Color: Close to 145C slightly tinged with             181D; axillary stripes, close to 146C.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: About five arranged in a             single whorl. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width: About 6 cm.             Shape: Spatulate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Narrowly             attenuate. Margin: Entire; moderately undulate. Texture and             luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             moderately velvety; matte. Color: When opening, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to NN155D. Fully opened, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to NN155D; color does not change with             development.         -   Petaloids (transformed reproductive structures).—Quantity             and arrangement: About 50 arranged in about five whorls.             Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 5 cm. Shape: Spatulate.             Apex: Emarginate. Base: Narrowly attenuate. Margin: Entire;             moderately undulate. Texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; moderately velvety; matte.             Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             NN155D. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             NN155D; color does not change with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: About five sepals arranged             in a single whorl. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 7 mm.             Shape: Lower 75% fused in to a tube; upper 25% deltoid.             Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture             and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             matte. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 145D; axillary stripes, close to 146B. Fully opened,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145D; axillary stripes,             close to 146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 13.3 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Aspect: Erect to             about 30° from vertical. Texture and luster: Sparsely to             moderately pubescent; slightly rough; slightly glossy.             Color: Close to 143C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 0.75 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Aspect: Erect to             about 30° from vertical. Texture and luster: Sparsely to             moderately pubescent; slightly rough; slightly glossy.             Color: Close to 143A.         -   Reproductive organs.—None observed, all transformed into             petal-like structures.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed on plants of the new Lychnis; flowers are sterile. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, resistance to pathogens and     pests common to Lychnis plants has not been observed on plants of     the new Lychnis grown under commercial production conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Lychnis have been observed to     tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from −23° C. to 40° C.;     plants of the new Lychnis and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness     Zones 5 to 9. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lychnis plant named ‘IFLYPH’ as illustrated and described. 